In a recent announcement, US President-elect Donald Trump revealed his plan to bring back Tom Homan, a known advocate for hardline immigration policies, to manage border security in his upcoming administration. Trump, who will be inaugurated in January after securing a victory in the recent election, plans to make immigration a central focus of his presidency.
“Former ICE Director Tom Homan will join my administration as the ‘Border Czar’ to oversee our national borders,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there’s nobody better at policing and controlling our borders.” Homan, who previously held a leading role in immigration enforcement during Trump’s first term, will be tasked with managing deportations, including a large-scale operation aimed at removing undocumented immigrants from the United States.
On his first day in office, Trump intends to initiate what he has described as the largest deportation campaign in US history. This mass deportation plan, labeled “Operation Aurora,” will involve utilizing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target certain migrant groups Trump claims pose a threat to the nation. This act, historically used during wartime to detain and deport foreign nationals, would serve as a basis for Trump’s crackdown on migrant gangs.
Trump has continued to frame immigration as a significant threat, using his social media and campaign platforms to warn of an “invasion” by migrants he says will negatively impact American communities. During his campaign, he often used charged language, even referring to the “poisoning” of American society—a term that many have criticized as inflammatory. This rhetoric, paired with viral but often unsubstantiated stories—such as a widely circulated claim of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, allegedly harming pets—has sparked further division on the topic.
Despite Trump’s statements, data shows that migrant-related crime has generally decreased, and the Biden administration has seen declining violent crime rates since 2020. Immigration-related crime statistics also indicate that migrants, overall, commit fewer crimes than the native-born population, though Republicans have often pointed to high-profile incidents involving foreign suspects to advocate for stricter immigration policies.
In terms of his administration, Trump has already appointed his campaign manager Susie Wiles, known for her composed approach, as White House Chief of Staff. Additionally, late Sunday, he confirmed to the New York Post that Congresswoman Elise Stefanik would serve as US Ambassador to the United Nations, a role Stefanik has accepted with enthusiasm.
Trump’s approach to immigration has heightened tensions surrounding border security, with the number of encounters between border patrol agents and migrants now approaching pre-pandemic levels. His return to office signals a renewed emphasis on border enforcement that is likely to become a defining aspect of his second term.
